Free College Basketball Picks Today: Texas Longhorns vs Kansas State Wildcats 1/3/23

Defense meets offense when the Kansas State Wildcats (12-1, 1-0 Big 12) travel to face the No. 6 Texas Longhorns (12-1, 1-0 Big 12) on Tuesday.

Kansas State defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers 82-76 at Fred Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday, their sixth consecutive win. Markquis Nowell had a standout performance with 23 points, 10 assists, and seven steals.

Texas won their sixth in a row in a close one on Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center, beating the Oklahoma Sooners 70-69. Marcus Carr and Timmy Allen topped the scoresheet with 13 points each. With 10 points and three blocks, Dylan Disu also played a part.

The teams are meeting for the only time this season. Kansas State and Texas split their matchups last season, winning one apiece. The Wildcats triumphed in the last meeting 66-65 at Frank Erwin Special Events Center in January 2022.

Mark Smith led the Wildcats with 22 points and eight rebounds. Carr had 25 points in the losing effort. The Wildcats have been led this season by Keyontae Johnson, who is averaging 17.7 points per game. Johnson also has grabbed 6.8 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, Nowell is dishing 8.5 assists.Carr (17.5 ppg) has been the primary provider for the Longhorns on offense. Carr also has tallied 3.9 assists per game. Allen has averaged 6.1 rebounds per game.

The Longhorns rank 17th in the NCAA in offensive efficiency, while the Wildcats are 28th in defensive efficiency. Kansas State is 9-1 in the last 10 games with an average margin of +11.8 (75.8-64.0).

Texas has also gone 9-1 over the last 10, scoring 82.8 points per game on average while holding opponents to 65.3 (+17.5 margin).

WILDCATS HOT/COLD

(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Nae’Qwan Tomlin: 24.2 | 18.3 | +5.9
Points per game:
Nae’Qwan Tomlin: 15.8 | 11.6 | +4.2